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The sultry weather in Bratislava continues, and the yearning for countryside escapes grows in proportion. So yet again we found ourselves heading out to explore one of the many outdoor adventures in close proximity to the city. This time we were bound for Stupava, 15 km north of the centre, for the hike up to the romantic ruin of Pajštún Castle.

The castle is one of Bratislava region’s best-kept secrets – at least in terms of fortresses. Bratislava’s own castle, or if not Devín Castle, grab all the foreign visitors and leave Pajštún alone and lovely high up in the forests of the Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathians).

There are several ways to get to Pajštún: it’s a hearty five- to six-hour hike from Bratislava through the Mestské Lesy (quickest on the blue trail from Pekna Cesta in Rača, but accessible too via the Marianka pilgrimage route utilising either the yellow trail from Pekna Cesta or the red trail from central Bratislava) or by good paths from both Marianka and the village of Borinka just to the north-east (just a couple of hours’ hiking from these last two).

But we began in Stupava, a town just off the E65 road heading north to Brno. It fancies itself as a separate town but is in reality little more than a commuter satellite of Bratislava. As ever, Englishmaninslovakia went with high hopes, as I’d heard of Stupava’s beautiful town park and wanted to check it out.

In fact, first impressions were good. The town had a church and, yes indeed, a striking chateau, all with a new lick of paint on an attractive cobbled central námestie. But the church was closed (only one old lady hobbling up to inspect the new notices about the just-deceased by the gates), and the chateau is a senior citizen’s home. However, they were very lucky old people, because their copious, lavish, exclusively-for-old-people castle-like abode looked our, from the rear, upon the most beautiful urban park within the Bratislava region. Zámocký Park is by far the superior of Bratislava’s Medicka Záhrada or Horský Park.

Zamocký Park in Stupava… nice view for the old folks – image by www.englishmaninslovakia.co.uk

The castle-backed lake is flanked by a few examples of Slovakia’s protected trees (nb – I’ll post the name here when I remember it) and a path leads away through manicured grounds in a manner reminiscent of an English country estate to connect up with the trails into the mountains after about 30 minutes’ walk. We took a bit of a shortcut and headed along by car (the next turning right after the park from the main road) to the cross which marks where the Zámocký Park path comes out.

There is parking just before the cross, and it’s a one and a quarter hour walk from here up through woodlands to Pajštún ruins, which you see from below leaning gutturally out of the wooded hills above you. If signs are to be believed, this is a forest where you can bump into the mouflon (big-horned wild sheep). We didn’t see any, but on the quiet paths near the castle we did cross paths with the biggest herd of wild deer I’ve ever seen in my life – at least 15, bounding through the trees just above us. On the way up, there is one point where the yellow-waymarked path veers almost without warning up off what looks like the main track, and the path is steep in places, but generally, head up and you shouldn’t miss the castle.

Pajstun Castle appears through the trees

It does appear, at times, as if the castle does not want to be found. It’s so secreted by trees that it only becomes visible right at the last moment. The castle was built in the late 13th century (1287) during a wave of Tartar-Hungarian conflict in the region. Powerful regional families, who invariably had as much power as the official monarch in these war-torn times, didn’t shirk to battle the Crown itself, and the Kösegiovcov family were one such audacious group. As a reward for helping them in battle, Rugerius of Tallesbrau received the very lands on which Pajštún was then built.

I did a fair amount of oohing and aahing at just what a defensive masterpiece this castle is. Despite being struck by lightening in the 18th century and then blown up by Napoleon in 1809 (what a nasty fellow to blow up an already ruined castle eh?) the castle is still incredibly in tact. It’s so surrounded by trees it’s hard to get an overall perspective picture, but from the shot below you can see just how vast the walls are: mighty enough to have become the Bratislava region’s best (natural) climbing spot!

Anyway, this is a great castle to explore, even if you don’t fancy the rather giddying climb up the cliffs of the ramparts to get there. Kids will love the ruins too. There’s great picnicking spots and fabulous views of Stupava, Borinka and, in the distance, Kamzik. In fact, the castle continued to dominate even after its decline, and Borinka was actually known as Predtym Pajštún (the translation of which is something like village under Pajštún) until 1948.

The paths continues on the other side of the castle (if there were few walkers before, on this side of the castle there’s almost none) and loops round on red and blue trails for a further two hours or so back down to the cross and the walk back through the park to Stupava.

Pajštún Myth…

The info board below the castle entrance also displays one of those cool Slovak myths – featuring the castle and going something like this: the lady of the castle meets a beggar woman with two children who asks for some food. The lady refuses because she has a fit of jealousy about the beggar-woman’s fertility. The beggar-woman gets irate and puts a curse on her. She will give birth to not one but eight children and endure 16 years of misery to boot. The prophesy comes true. The lady of the castle gives birth to eight children, keeps one and tells some other dignitary/attendant to take the other seven into the woods and kill them. The dignitary/attendant has a change of heart and decides he’ll raise the seven kids himself (they’re all sons by the way). Years pass. All the time the lady of the castle is ruing her decision (well, it was quite harsh). The time comes when the seven sons are due to celebrate their passage into manhood (by now they’re 16 years old). The dignitary/attendant has kept their survival a secret from the lady of the castle, who is of course invited to the festivities, sees the seven beautiful young men she asked to have killed and repents. They forgive her; everyone lives happily ever after.

GETTING THERE: Slovak Lines run hourly buses to Stupava from Bratislava’s Mlynské Nivy bus station (which is just the other side of Medicka Záhrada in the Nové Mesto/Ružinov area). Marianka, another start-point for the hike to Pajštún, is within the Bratislava public transport zone, and is therefore accessed by city bus 37 from the Most SNP bus station (a bit more convenient to get to). It’s 0.90 Euros to Marianka or 1.50 to Stupava.

The main Bratislava public transport website is imhd.sk – here, if you know your journey’s beginning and end point, you can plan any trip on tram, bus or trolleybus within the greater Bratislava public transport network (which extends to include Marianka in the north, Hainburg, Austria in the west, outermost Petržalka in the south and outermost Rača, Vajnory and Podunajské Biskupice in the east). But we thought it might be a good idea if we mentioned all the public transport routes you’re likely to need for every destination in and around Bratislava on this blog (which are relatively few, as most Bratislava sights and activities are within the compact city centre and can be walked to). You can use this post in conjunction with:

BOLDED AND IN CAPITALS refers to one of the 16 transport route featured in this list.

IN CAPITALS refers to the start/end points of each transport route.

in bold lower case refers to the worthwhile stops on these transport routes.

[square bracketed and italicised] numbers after transport routes are reference points to denote at what point on the list 1-16 below that transport route is detailed in full

BUS 61 – As detailed in our how to get from the airport to the city centre post, runs from the AIRPORT to the MAIN TRAIN STATION, HLAVNA STANICA. Passes on the way, in order, Avion Shopping Centre (the country’s biggest retail outlet space no less) Freshmarket (one of Bratislava’s coolest markets), Trnavské Mýto (for the Ondreja Nepelu stadium, the main place for catching ice hockey matches, the Lindner Gallery Hotel AND changes to TRAM 8 [6]) and TRAM 4[4] and Račianské Mýto (for changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [3])

TRAM 1 – Runs from the MAIN TRAIN STATION, HLAVNA STANICA to PETRŽALKA. Passes, on the way, in order, Postová (for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here AND changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [3]) and Sad Janka Kráľa (for linking up with the Danube cycle path).

TRAM 3 – Runs from PETRŽALKA to RAČA (a suburb in Bratislava’s northeast). Passes, on the way, in order, Sad Janka Kráľa (for linking up with the Danube cycle path)Námestie SNP (the Square of the Slovak National Uprising, and also in the centre), Kamenné Namestie (for the big city-centre Tesco’s, Tulip House Hotel, Obyvačka and Bistro St Germain) and then joins up with the same route as TRAM 5 [5].

TRAM 4 – Runs from ZLATÉ PIESKY (Bratislava city’s nominal lake/water activities space) to DUBRAVKA (a suburb in Bratislava’s northwest). Passes, on the way, in order, Polus City Centre (a big shopping centre), Trnavské Mýto (for the Ondreja Nepelu stadium, the main place for catching ice hockey matches, the Lindner Gallery Hotel AND changes to BUS 61 and TRAM 8 [6]), Americké Námestie (for Caffe Trieste, Medická Záhrada AND changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3[3] via a short walk), Mariánska and Jesenského (for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here), Nám. Ľ. Štúra (for Bratislava’s main boat terminal and for the Slovak National Gallery and Slovak Philharmonic), Most SNP (for one of the best viewpoints in Bratislava not to mention the short jaunt across the river to Aurpark) and Chatam Sofer (for the Chatam Sofer Jewish memorial, River Park shopping centre and Kempinski Hotel). Afterwards this follows the same route as TRAM 5[5] to Dubravka.

TRAM 5 – Runs from DUBRAVKA (a suburb in Bratislava’s northwest) to RAČA (a suburb in Bratislava’s northeast) via the city centre. Passes, on the way, in order, Alexyho (for changes to BUS 20 [9]), Vodárenské Muzeum (for the homonymous museum on the history of Bratislava and water – which actually looks pretty cool), Botanická Záhrada (for the botanical garden), Lafranconi (for changes to BUS 37 [11]), Park Kultúry (for the River Park shopping centre and Kempinski Hotel), Kapucinska (for Bratislava Castle, City Walls, Hangout Cafe and Kava.Bar), Postová (for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here), Vysoká (for Úl’uv and Starosloviensky Pivovar), Americké Námestie (for Caffe Trieste and Medická Záhrada), Račianské Mýto (for changes to BUS 61 [1]), Vinohrady (for Bratislava Vinohrady mainline railway station, with trains to all major destinations east) and Pekná Cesta (for accessing some of the greatest hikes in the Small Carpathians AND changes to out-of-town buses to Sväty Júr, Pezinok and the like)

TRAM 8 – Runs from NÁMESTIE SNP (the Square of the Slovak National Uprising, and also in the centre) to ASTRONOMICKÁ (in Ružinov). Passes, on the way, in order, Postová (for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here AND changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [3]), Vysoká (for Úl’uv and Starosloviensky Pivovar AND changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [3]), Trnavské Mýto (for the Ondreja Nepelu stadium, the main place for catching ice hockey matches, the Lindner Gallery Hotel AND changes to BUS 61[1] and TRAM 4 [4]) and Tomášikova (for Martinský Cintorín).

TROLLEYBUS 210 – Runs from the MAIN TRAIN STATION, HLAVNA STANICA to the MAIN BUS STATION, MLYNSKÉ NIVY. Passes, on the way, in order, Karpatská (for changes to TROLLEYBUS 203[7]) and Račianské Mýto (for changes to TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [3]).

BUS 20 – Runs from the Alexyho stop in DUBRAVKA (a suburb in Bratislava’s northwest) to DEVÍNSKA NOVÁ VES (a commuter town on the Morava river known for its access to some great nature). Passes, on the way, in order Hradištná (for Sandberg and Devinska Kobyla) and Devínska Nová Ves Railway Station (on the railway line to Malacky, Vel’ke Leváre and Kúty in the Zahorie region.

BUS 28 – Runs from the NOVÉ SND (new building of the Slovak National Theatre, by the Eurovea shopping centre to DEVIN (jump-off point for Devín Castle). Passes, on the way, in order, Most SNP (for one of the best viewpoints in Bratislava not to mention the short jaunt across the river to Aurpark) and Štrbská (for Devín Castle). BUS 29 plies a similar route.

BUS 43 – Rus from Vojenská Nemocnica (for one of the main city hospitals AND changes to the BUS 212[16] to Lesopark (for access to Bratislava Forest Park or Bratislava Mestské Lesy). Passes, on the way, in order, several great jumping-off points for hikes in the forest including Železná studnička.

BUS 91 – Runs from MOST SNP (for one of the best viewpoints in Bratislava) to ČUNOVO (for the 2.5km hike to Danubiana Art Museum). Passes, on the way, in order, Aurpark (the big shopping centre that’s closest to the city centre), Petržalka train station (for trains to Vienna, Austria) and Kaštiel’ Rusovce (for access to the Kaštiel’ Rusovce chateau and the surrounding riverside woods which include walking trails along the Danube).

BUS 93 – Runs from the MAIN TRAIN STATION, HLAVNA STANICA to PETRŽALKA. Passes on the way, in order, Hodžovo Námestie (by the Presidential Palace; for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here AND changes to BUS 208[15] and TROLLEYBUS 203[7]), Zochova (also for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here, including the 5-minute walk south to the Most SNP bus station), Aupark (the big shopping centre that’s closest to the city centre) and Petržalka train station (for trains to Vienna, Austria).

BUS 208 – Runs from ŠULEKOVÁ (in the swanky embassy district below Slavin) to CINTORÍN VRAKUŇA (a cemetery and district in Bratislava’s southeast). Passes, on the way, in order, Hodžovo Námestie (by the Presidential Palace; for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here AND changes to BUS 93 [14] and TROLLEYBUS 203[7] and the main bus station, Mlynské Nivy)

BUS 212 – Runs from Zimný štadión (Ondreja Nepelu stadium, the main place for catching ice hockey matches) to Vojenská Nemocnica (for one of the main city hospitals AND changes to the BUS 43[12]). Passes, on the way, in order, Americké Námestie (for Caffe Trieste and Medická Záhrada), Hodžovo Namestie (by the Presidential Palace; for all city centre points of interest, which are walkable from here AND changes to BUS 93 [14],BUS 208[15] and Trolleybus 203 [7]) and Sokolská (for Hlavna Stanica, Bratislava Railway Station).

BUS 901 – Runs from MOST SNP (for one of the best viewpoints in Bratislava not to mention the short jaunt across the river to Aurpark) to HAINBURG (in Austria, but usefully included in the Bratislava public transport network because Slovaks love to come here to do shopping). Passes, on the way, Einsteinova (for the Incheba exhibition centre) and a small fairly nondescript town on the Austrian side called Wolsthal.

* From HLAVNA STANICA, BRATISLAVA RAILWAY STATION, a handy-to-know-about shortcut along Šancová (10-minute walk or accessible by multiple buses/trolleybuses, including TROLLEYBUS 210) goes to RAČIANSKÉ MÝTO from where you can hook up with TRAM 5[5] and TRAM 3 [7].

**It should be noted that Svätý Júr, the rather fetching commuter village just northeast of Raca that we include in our Places to Go/Bratislava & Around sub-section, is not on the Bratislava public transport grid, but as we include it in our Bratislava chapters on this site, we’ll tell you: you should head to Mlynské Nivy bus station (Bratislava’s main bus station) from where hourly buses depart for Svätý Júr.

The first time. It’s important, right? On my first time – with the tea tent in Medická Záhrada, that is – a bare-footed, bearded man engaged me in an interesting discussion about birdwatching in Slovakia: besides recommending then serving me with a very good iced tea…

It’s illustrative of the ease – the slightly Bohemian, but very serene ease – with which “Tvoja Čajovna” (your teahouse) has operated, now, for several years.

In Medická Záhrada, possibly Bratislava’s best-kept city park (Záhrada means garden), this double marquee (the larger of the two tents is for sitting, in far-Eastern style on the floor or cushions, and sipping; the smaller of the two is for the kitchen) announces the start of summer proper when it opens its doors – or perhaps more accurately lifts its flaps – at the beginning of May. And it does so in the gentlest, least assuming way that a place which by now has the deserved status of a city institution possibly could.

It would be easy for Tvoja Čajovna to put on grand airs (being quite simply the city’s nicest eatery to be actually enclosed within a park) or to serve unappealing Slovak stodge for food (it serves healthy platters of hummus, pita bread and salad) or indeed to charge high prices for the privilege of the beautiful location (they don’t).

Instead this veritable encampment (because there’s also two other covered drinking/dining areas separate from the main tent) concentrates on attentive service: particularly where tea is concerned. You can even order a Japanese tea ceremony here!

It’s not Bratislava’s finest čajovna, but when you factor in the location, and the beautiful Moroccan-style interior, it’s also not that far off. And when the sun beats down in the 35-degree midday summer heat, it’s the best place to cool off – whilst remaining relatively sophisticated

Relevant civic authority: don’t screw up and make it hard for Tvoja Čajovna to return next year, OK?

Cinema can die suddenly. The last half a century has borne out the truth of that statement. And with that death comes the death of something else: a certain age-old glamour, perhaps. But in Bratislava there are a few places which are somehow surviving against multiplexes like Aurpark’s Cinema City (multiplexes which in my opinion are helping to kill cinema, not resuscitate it): keeping the elegance in cinema and, in fact, doing rather well at it.

Of these, Film Club Nostalgia is my favourite. It moved location a few years ago from its old place on the campus of Slovenská technická univerzita (Slovak Technical University) to an intriguing new spot in the Nové Mesto (New Town) of Bratislava. Intriguing because – well – the move was something of a risk – the area wasn’t always so attractive for a relocation.

Yes, now the Nové Mesto does seem very up-and-coming. The little network of streets east of Medicka Záhrada and the cemetery of Ondrejský Cintorin brim with a lot of cool little bars and cafes – and of course there is the highly successful Galleria Cvernoka in the vicinity (an office and exhibition space in an old factory) that actually kickstarted the trendiness of this area in the first place. But having Film Club Nostalgia there too is kind of the icing on the cake: the stamped seal of approval that Nové Mesto is a place to spend your evening in. Because now it’s got the gentrified cafes and bars AND still a touch of the former grittiness, with all those crumbling old factories.

The film club vestibule is daubed in posters of cinema’s greats. There is only one screen with tightly-packed wooden seats. Films are only shown every couple of days – but when they are shown the discerning taste of whoever is selecting the program comes through. There are quality independent screenings to go besides the best of the occasional mainstream ones that get shown – plumbed from the depths of world cinema, and simply never shown at the multiplexes.

And when a quality independent cinema has a stylish cafe-bar attached (Nostalgia in big black lettering, done in the style of a WW2 advertisement with a smiling 1940’s-esque lady, clearly also pleased at the quality of the screenings, on one wall. Dim lighting. Quite good service. A very good selection of pizzas. A terrace) then, well, I am kind of sold. Viva Film Club Nostalgia!

FILM SHOWINGS: see this link (Slovak only for now) for the latest. Many film showings do have English subtitles however – or are shown in English. Nostalgia (thank goodness) doesn’t like the Communist tradition of dubbing at all).

I sat watching this in a friend’s flat on dusty Moskovská, in one of those big, old, grey-brown apartment buildings the other side of the Medicka Záhrada, on a late lazy summer evening, and felt, perhaps more than with any other Slovak film I’ve yet seen, that I could, in fact, have been seeing a scene unfolding outside on the street rather than on a TV screen.

Všetko čo mam rád takes place in the early 1990s (it was made in 1992), in that uncertain period after the fall of Communism but before Slovakia had yet become a nation. It follows the story of an out-of-work divorcee and the important relationships of his life – with his pretty, flamboyant love interest, an English teacher, with his son and with his father (and, even though perhaps he doesn’t want it, the continued relationship with his ex-wife).

It is hard not to see the connection between the main character, Tomas, and Slovakia the country (an out-of-work divorcee, remember) pulled unwillingly back to the life he had with his ex yet compelled forward, initially with lust and happiness, but later with uncertainty, toward his spirited foreign girlfriend. Then there is the pull in the other direction: family. His father is disapproving of him having left his wife, whilst Tomas’ son is just plain embarrassed of him. Then there is the very first scene, where Tomas, during a passionate exchange with his girlfriend, shouts “I am Slovak” in English before adding, in Slovak, “unfortunately”.

Tomas is an amiable, likeable but somewhat directionless protagonist. He means well, is not confrontational, and there seems to be few reasons for him to object to his girlfriend’s request for him to come back to England with her. There seems to be little tying him to Slovakia, in other words (his ex-wife empties his house of possessions in a fit of rage, he and his father are hardly close, he has no work). Yet as the film progresses, against all likelihood he seems to be swaying more towards staying. Something in his identity is irrevocably tied to Slovakia, a tie which becomes evident during some fascinating, if melancholy, shots of Slovak landscape, culminating in the moodily-filmed final scene where he drives to a lake (Zlaté Piesky?) with his son.

The director, Martin Šulík, was the light that emerged in the lean period of post-communist Slovak film-making. He went on to make the more famous Záhrada, and kept developing what became his hallmark elements of strained relationships and original, tongue-in-cheek, gently comic dialogue in that movie. And perhaps Všetko čo mam rád does often get overlooked as a result. But this film is a little-known gem. Its slow pace works because the characters are built up into people that do seem realistic – people you might meet on the streets (and in this regard a movie Hollywood could learn a great deal from). It does far more than sketch the difficult transition from Communism in Slovakia. It taps into “Slovakness” (not just Slovakness in the 1990s, of course, but Slovakness generally) and therefore permeates the boundaries of the challenging, scantly-funded era in which it was made. And – touchingly, unpretentiously, albeit with a slight sepia tint – stands the test of time.

There is the old adage, isn’t there, about the pretty house and the ugly house that stand near each other on the same street. The pretty house is so beautiful, so much more attractive – why would anyone, given the choice, hang out in the ugly house? The answer of course is that the beautiful house has a view onto the ugly house whilst the ugly house looks out on the beautiful one.

The same principle could be applied to Bratislava’s Lindner Gallery Hotel. We’re not calling this thirteen-floor building just outside the historic core of the Old Town ugly exactly – but when you compare its facade to the stunning 17th-century townhouses stretching away across the nearby city centre in a wave of steeply-pitching orange rooftops, it will seem plain. Plain as in unexceptional and modern, that is – nothing more extreme.

But new and shiny in its modernity the Lindner is – and inside it opens like a chrysalis into a garish montage of colour that, well, will leave an impression (on your eyeballs, certainly). The predominant colour seems to be lime green, and this flies in flourishes of debatable taste all the way up to the thirteenth floor.

13 might be unlucky for some. But not for guests here. The undoubted highlight of this hotel is the Outlook Bar here, where you get the best views of Bratislava Castle and the Old Town it’s possible to get from the city centre’s accommodation possibilities (and all for the relatively minor exertion of pressing the elevator button).

But there is no escaping the German owners’ functionalist design hotel theme, which at times harks of the overly-efficient minimalist. The dullest parts are reserved for the public areas; perhaps fortunately; the rooms themselves are functionalist in a more agreeable way. They tick every box they should and not one more (a smart appearance, flat-screen multi-channel TVs, innocuous pine furnishings, no wall decorations save for large images of a Bratislava made to seem very modern and awash with neon light). The bathrooms are well-stocked, although inward-opening doors restrict an already limited space within. The food? Breakfasts are a missed trick: standard international with a vaguely Germanic and absolutely zero local influence with the fare. As for dinner, you’ll be having that (if you dine here at all which is totally unnecessary this close to the centre – see here for some good local restaurants) in the Outlook Bar so will be focussing on the panorama of Bratislava out of the window anyway.

But the prices, for a central-ish location (Trnavské Mýto) make the Lindner not only competitive – but a real bargain. Try venturing into the historic core for a smart room with a view like this and you will fail – miserably. A lift also connects the hotel to a large shopping and leisure centre. And in Medická Záhrada, a 300m walk away, you are close to the city centre’s nicest park. And oh, that view!

RELATED POST: Use Linder Gallery Hotel’s Location to scope out the little-known delights of the Nové Mesto and Ružinov districts of Bratislava (to the north, east and south-east of the hotel).

Why the Lindner has “gallery” in its name remains more of a mystery. Perhaps the gallery referred to is the vista. Perhaps they just added it in there to make it sound posher or more enigmatic. After all, what hotel doesn’t want to sound posher or more enigmatic?

Thanks to reader Jon Clift who provided the pics and who provided much of the info following his stay here

PRICES: Book one weekday night online and doubles prices are around 110 Euros. But book for two nights and the prices tumble down, with doubles working out at just 70 Euros at the weekend – significantly cheaper than most other decent city centre hotels. (2016 prices)

For our 150th post on Englishmaninslovakia.com we are honoured to have a guest article on birdwatching in and around Bratislava from one of the city’s most experienced birdwatchers, Tomáš Novák. A keen birdwatcher, nature lover, and “bike birder”, his particular passion is urban birding (spotting the birdlife that inhabits urban areas) and owing to the variety of terrains around Bratislava, there is rather a large amount of bird diversity…

It may be that birdwatching in Slovakia is not as popular a pastime as it is in the UK or U.S. Yet Bratislava definitely offers great opportunities to explore the world of birds. There are various habitats on offer: from open fields in the Pannonian lowlands to the forests of the Small Carpathians; from the Danube and its wet floodplain meadows to vineyards and forest steppe. We should not omit, in the city itself, urban parks, bodies of water or high-rise buildings. So where in Bratislava is best to enjoy birdwatching?

Danube

Hrušovská zdrž water reservoir below Bratislava is a large water body that attracts plenty of bird species. It is one of the most important wintering site for some species of waterbirds in Central Europe. Beside thousands of wintering Tufted Ducks, Goldeneyes, Pochards or Mallards, you can spot some more unusual species such as the Pygmy Cormorant, Greater Scaup, Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Smew or Red-breasted Merganser. During migration season it is possible to observe various species of waders and Marsh Terns as well – and, to name just some of the others – the Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Curlew or Black Tern. It is one of the last refuges of breeding Mediterranean Gulls in Slovakia. And last but not least I need to mention the uncrowned king of the Danube’s sky. The majestic White-tailed Eagle breeds here and the numbers swell every winter with birds that come from Northern Europe to spend the winter months by the Danube.

How to get there:Bus 91 to Čunovo, bus 90 to Areál vodných športov or by bike from Petržalka along the seepage canal MAP

Železná studnička Area

Bratislava lies in the foothills of Small Carpathians. You can dive into the 1500 km long arc of Carpathian beech forests, which begins right above the city. At the entrance to the Bratislava Mestske Lesy (which leads you up into the Small Carpathians from Železná studnička railway station in western Bratislava) the proximity of these forests brings a handful of interesting bird species. I’ll start with woodpeckers. In Slovakia you can find all ten species that live in Europe. Nine of them can be spotted in or next to the forests around Bratislava – the Middle Spotted, Great Spotted, Syrian, White-backed, Green, Grey-headed, Black, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Wryneck. For all save the last two, you have to go a little way into the forests, for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker you’ll find them on the edge of forest vegetation and for the Wryneck focus your attentions on the border between the forest and vineyard-covered slopes – where it might breed in old orchards or small clumps of trees. The Wood Warbler, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers breed in the Bratislava forests as well. Have you tried birding during the night? You need to try it – and one of the rewards is the call of the Tawny Owl, which can also be found here.

How to get there: Bus 43 from Patrónka (once you’re up in the forests, any stop will do to get out and start exploring) MAP

Sandberg and Devínska Kobyla

The old sandstone quarry in Devínska Nová Ves, easily accessible by walk, is one of the top natural sites in Bratislava. From early May you can find here colony of breeding European Bee-eaters, the most colourful Slovak bird. A stunning surrounding landscape

comprising Marchfeld, the Morava River and iconic Devín castle is a good motive for a walk. The hunting Red-backed Shrike, the singing Chiffchaff, soaring Red Kites, White Storks and, if you are lucky, the Imperial Eagle could be spotted. This is a forgotten world of steppe habitats, orchid meadows, rare insects, endemic animal and plant species, and high diversity of snakes, butterflies and flowers. Need more be said? Definitely a must if you are a nature lover.

A classic (and, by foreigners, rarely visited) natural treasure is the greenbelt of the Morava River, the former “iron curtain” area. You can find here a mosaic of wet meadows, oxbow lakes, alluvial forests and agricultural land. This beautiful landscape is a shelter for the breeding of water birds and a roosting site for migrating geese. Various birds of prey – the Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, White-tailed Eagle or Imperial Eagle – could be observed here. Even Black Storks are searching for the food in the moist meadows. Not enough? The Barred Warbler, Corncrake or Golden Oriole may convince you. In addition the bike path is lined with the old military bunkers. Discover a green paradise no further away than the northern outskirts of a Capital city!

How to get there:Train to Devínske Jazero, by bike from Devínska Nová Ves following the marked trail to Vysoká pro Morave MAP

One could complain that busy people do not have enough time to explore the nature around the city. But when you take a closer look at the fine birding spots right in the city centre, you have to concede that nature is so close in Bratislava, you barely have to do more than glance up to see it! During a lunch break, a walk in the Medická záhrada public garden and nearby Ondrejský cintorín cemetery could reveal a Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Spotted Flycatcher or Icterine Warbler. Similar and more diverse list can be observed in Sad Janka Kráľa public park, across the other side of the Danube from Most SNP. The water bodies of Štrkovec, Kuchajda and Zlaté Piesky offer you a nice walk after work with good views of Black-headed Gulls, Common Terns, Coots, Mute Swans or just lovely Mallards. So does the Chorvátske rameno canal and Veľký Draždiak in Petržalka. Kingfishers in Bratislava? Yes, at Karloveské rameno – an arm of the Danube next to Karlová Ves. And the very fortunate can spot Beavers as well. Large flocks of wintering Rooks and Jackdaws can be spied flying over the city center around sunset. And did you know that Peregrine Falcon use to roost on the top of the Incheba Exhibition Centre highrise building in the winter?

This is not, by any means, a complete list of birdwatching spots in Bratislava. Many more posts would be needed to fully showcase them all. I just tried to provide here a taster of the natural diversity of the Slovak capital. Would you like to have a birdwatching guided walk or bike trip? Feel free to contact me on e-mail (tomas.novak@ymail.com) or Twitter (@titodaking). It’s easy. Just grab your binoculars, camera and backpack and let’s go exploring the nature of Bratislava.